A z tego pieknego miejsca sie wyprowadzilem do Polski
Teraz postaram sie napisac troche po polsku. Jak widzicie, ze zdjecia na poczatku tego blogu Edynburg, miejsce mojego urodzenia, ma piekny zamek ktory goruje nad centrum miasta. Jest duzo ciekawych miejsc do zwiedzenia, i bardzo zachecam do podrozy....tym bardziej ze mozna od czasu do czasu dostac bilety lotem Ryanair za bezcen, lecac z Lodzi, Poznania i Krakowa. W tym roku sam lecialem za 3PLN + oplata za platnosc karta kredytowa. Razem wynioslo 23PLN! Oczywiscie jest gorzej z noclegiami, ale mozna dostac miejsce na noc w tak zwanym 'Youth hostel' za okolo 15 funtow.. Ponizej pare zdjec
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Widoki te na zatoke znana jako 'Firth of Forth' przy Crammond...a w ostatnim zdjeciu przejazd samochodem przez 'Forth Road Bridge' i widok na slynny 'Forth Rail Bridge w mgle.
Rozne widoki z centrum stolicy szkockiej patrzac sie od 'Princes Street'.
Niektore takie widoki nie sa takie piekne.....mlode panienki?...
Nie takie zgrabne jak polskie dziewczyny!
What a great spell of weather we're having this year in Poland! I was lucky enough to be out of the country, back in Scotland, throughout most of July when Poland experienced quite a rainy spell of weather. Throughout August and September it has been glorious!
The weather has helped me with the overall building, because we have managed to get started with the second 'skin' of the house.
Here in Poland a type of polystyrene brick is used to insulate the outside of the house and my builders have started to line the outside walls with a layer 12cm thick. First a glue is applied to the 'brick' and then it is placed on the wall to set, with the walls being drilled and a type of rawplug inserted. This is then completed by inserting a long type of nail to pin the surfaces together
Early days still, but it's coming along!
As I've had a house built for me before in Scotland, I felt that some of the technology used there would be useful here in Poland. What different technology you may ask? The answer to that is 'timber frame technology'.
Initially I wanted to build a timber framed house here, but everyone advised me against it....and not convinced, I started to look for plans of houses that I liked. To be frank I never found any.....and so I moved to a traditional build as there was a mind-boggling selection of them.
What amazed me was the solidity of everything being built. In houses in Scotland the upstairs floors are suspended on joists which are part of a timber construction, not the concrete supports used here. I therefore went with the architect's plans and decided that I wanted plasterboard panels upstairs to create the rooms. There was a lot of 'tutting' by the builder in respect of this, as well as many other people.....and the comment was used 'it just isn't done.....people prefer solid walls'. Ok, I thought go with it again and keep my mouth shut.....you don't teach a baker how to bake cakes, do you?... so 'I went with the flow'.
Then we came to plastering.....normally plasterboards on top of the walls and ceilings in Britain, but not here! Instead we had a superb machine that sprayed the stuff on, with a dedicated team of plasterers showing their skill in getting the finish just right. To say I was impressed would be a mild comment.
At the end of the day it comes down to costs, and labour costs are high in Great Britain and most of Europe. Here in Poland they are not inexpensive in relation to salaries earned by an average polish citizen.
My experience of plasterers was more of 'tapers' who pinned or nailed on the plasterboard, taped it and then skimmed it. It certainly was not done like that here because of all the ceramic brick walls and concrete ceilings.
The finish was superb...like glass...No wonder that Polish tradesmen are respected the world over!!They command a very high opinion back in Scotland..and rightly so!!
I'd like to comment on both the front door and the garage door. The latter was put up very professionally, and I was amazed to note how long it actually took to do. I was impressed by the fitters accuracy and how they made sure that everything was exactly right. They even had to stick on their firm's label and take a photograph that it had been done! They said that 'checks' were carried out...and they weren't wrong!! Some hour and a half later, a gentleman turned up to examine it and ask if I was happy with the job.....Very efficient!...and maybe a case of 'big brother is watching you'!
The front door was another matter....First the fitter did not want to fit it because he wanted the archway above it bricked up. Then he decided that he would go away and come back when the work had been done.....but he couldn't tell me when...as they were VERY BUSY.
I decided there and then that the door WAS going in, and that I'd take the responsibility for it if there were any complications. He finally agreed to fit the two-leaf door and secured it everywhere but above. When I asked for an additional bracket to fix it above, he said that they didn't provide any!!
I didn't see the logic of telling me that it needed to be secure above, once something was put in place in the archway, but not giving me anything to secure it with!!
I'm happy with its appearance and fit and now I'm considering putting in a nice bit of oak where the arc is and staining it to match the door. The inside of the archway will be built up with insulating material. It might not work...but it's worth a try.
With these doors in place, I just had to wait for the windows upstairs, and as I mentioned earlier they came some two weeks later.
stały bywalec
